Lulu Belle, a 52 year old chimpanzee, has been a fixture at our Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch for almost 20 years. And in that time she has continually amazed us—from thriving after being rescued from a biomedical research facility to recovering from a stroke—she’s a true survivor. But now she’s added something new to her list of attributes—record-breaker.

Captive and wild chimpanzees are now listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The new listing from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is in response to a 2010 legal petition by The Humane Society of the United States. Under the ESA, a permit for any activity that would involve harming, harassing, killing or the use of chimpanzees in interstate commerce is required.

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Many pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms have adopted policies stating that they will not conduct or financially support invasive research on chimpanzees, while others have severely restricted their use of chimpanzees.

Merck & Co, Inc., will stop conducting or financially supporting biomedical research on chimpanzees into the foreseeable future. The availability of alternatives has led to the policy change by one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.

A barrier in the way of government-owned chimpanzees in laboratories being transferred to sanctuaries has been cleared now that Congress has given final approval to support the project. The Senate gave final approval to the National Institutes of Health to spend money on sanctuary care and to begin fulfilling the agency’s pledge to move laboratory chimpanzees to sanctuaries, a move hailed by The Humane Society of the United States as game-changing for these great apes.

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted without opposition to give the National Institutes of Health the much-needed flexibility within its budget to retire government-owned chimpanzees from laboratories to sanctuaries, and to continue supporting those already in sanctuary.

The United States Senate has voted to give the National Institutes of Health the flexibility within its budget to retire government-owned chimpanzees from laboratories to sanctuaries, and continue to support those already in sanctuary.

Brent, a 37-year-old retired chimpanzee from Chimp Haven in Keithville, La., has won first place in The Humane Society of the United States’ Chimpanzee Art Contest, which featured paintings created by chimpanzees living in sanctuaries throughout the United States and generated more than 27,000 votes.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed a new rule to increase protection for captive chimpanzees who endure abuses in the entertainment industry, research laboratories, and the exotic pet trade. Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch's rescued chimps Lou Lou Belle, Kitty, and Midge prove just how much captive chimps deserve protection.